2008/09 Fire Season Preseason Briefing

2. 2008/09 Fire SeasonPreseason Briefing

3. Welcome and outline • Season 2007/08 in review. • State Aircraft Unit/State Air Desk. • Fireline and agency related occurrences. • OHS and fatigue management. • Management and administration: • IFAC and complex aircraft fundamentals. • Communications. • State Aircraft Unit program delivery. • State Fleet and Call When Needed resources. • Documentation. • Innovation and continuous improvement. • AIIMS Air Operations Unit. • Passenger transport operations. • Fireground safety. • Accidents and emergency procedures.

4. Season 2007/08 in review

5. Season 2007/08 in review (1) • Aircraft on line: • 34 contract State Fleet aircraft; • 3070 hours flown by State Fleet aircraft. • No injuries. • 26 occurrences - a number still being investigated.

6. Season 2007/08 in review (2)Yearly statistical comparison

7. Season 2007/08 in review (3) Major fires - hours flown and  costs/ha • Bendoc 5 Lightning Tk 82 hrs $ 10,086 /ha • Bendoc 8 Mountain Ck 71 hrs $ 20,392 /ha • Heyfield 8 Blue Rag 118 hrs $ 6,697 /ha • Murrindindi 21 Royston Dam 58 hrs $ 6,319 /ha • Nowa 15 Mt Victoria 82 hrs $ 5,157 /ha • Nowa 16 Tara Kanni 41 hrs $ 56.50 /ha • Region 15 Elaine 62 hrs $ 399 /ha • U Murray 18 Mt Elliot 86 hrs $ 467 /ha • Horsham 8 Little Desert 70 hrs $ 6.28 /ha • Yarram 6 Lilly Pilly Gully 25 hrs $ 3,191 /ha • Yarram 18 Snake Island 83 hrs $ 157 /ha

8. Aircraft supply and logistical support. Dispatch and coordination. Use of Type 1 helo/bucket with retardant. Remote floating collar/bucket operations. Aerial incendiary machine reliability. S61 rappel trial. S61 tank tests. Season 2007/08 in review (4)What went well

9. State Aircraft Unit & State Air Desk

10. State Aircraft Unit & State Air Desk (1)State Aircraft Unit • Joint agency unit of CFA and DSE to manageall aviation matters for the agencies and partners in Victoria. • The primary objective is to create a “one stop shop” for all aspects of coordination and management of aviation resources and activities. • Review of SAU business: • Clarify direction, restructure, new positions.

11. Manager, SAU Nick Ryan SAU Procurement & Business Services Manager SAU Technical Systems Coordinator SAU Training & Safety Manager SAU Aviation Services Manager SAU Innovation Officer David Craig Adam Damen Bryan Rees Barry Scott Hayden Biggs SAU Management Services Officer SAU Systems Specialist Assistant SAU Aviation Equipment and Training Officer Taina Scott Guy Coward Graeme Briggs SAU Aviation Technical Officer – Audit, Analysis & Systems Review SAU Aviation Support Officer (CFA Position) David Paton Eain McRae State Aircraft Unit & State Air Desk (2)State Aircraft Unit staff

12. State Aircraft Unit & State Air Desk (3)State Air Desk • State Air Desk operational arm of SAU. • Staffed jointly by CFA and DSE personnel. • Deploys all State aircraft requests. • Monitors all fire aircraft operations. • Assists in the coordination/movement of state resources and personnel to support operations. • Provision of technical specialists eg. FLIR. • Specialist advice and ensures adherence to agency policy and procedures. • Provides flight following where required.

13. State Aircraft Unit & State Air Desk (4)State Air Desk • 24 hours 7 days: • 1 X SAC - strategic overview - 24 hrs; • 2 X DAO - daily operational management - 24 hrs; • 1 X DAO - PAX. - 24 hrs. • Fleet resources: • State Fleet and CWN resources; • Interstate and NAFC resources; • PAX charter. • Additional support: • DSE - Maurie Grealy, Steph Carr, Bec Sullivan; • PV - Rob Jarvis; • CFA - Chris Olney, Matt Taranto, Wayne Rigg.

14. Fireline & agency related occurrences

15. Fireline & agency related occurrences (1)Occurrence summary • 26 reported occurrences: • Blade strike - Bell 212; • Tank system testing late in day; • Over emphasis on preparedness and operational serviceability; • Low sun angle; • Unfamiliar with site/obstacles/hazards; • Fixated on test, loss of situational awareness. • Two weeks loss of service. • Engine failure Cessna 337; • Oil full flow adapter failed resulting in loss of power to rear engine.

16. 2 separate incidents where fireline vehicles have been hit with retardant. Fireline & agency related occurrences (2) Fire suppression occurrence summary • Situational awareness critical for all involved ie. those on the fire ground to stay clear and AAS to monitor location of all ground personnel.

17. Fireline & agency related occurrences (3)Non-fire suppression occurrence summary • 2 x sling loading occurrences: • Pilot accidentally released load after arming system; • Load released after encountering turbulence. • Aerial Driptorch strike: • Operating excessively low over burn area, the drip torch was damaged after striking vegetation. • Crew departed helicopter uphill under turning rotors.

18. OHS & fatigue management

19. OHS & fatigue management (1)OHS reporting cards

20. OHS & fatigue management (2)OHS reporting cards • Provide to supervisor: • Air base manager, aircraft officer, air attack supervisor. • All reported “aviation occurrences” will be listed on the SAU webpage. • Aim to investigate: • Outcomes and any recommendations for improvement. • Small number have been investigated and completed. Rest still required to be resolved.

21. OHS & fatigue management (3)Fatigue management • Aviation environment: • Requires attention to detail; • Vigilance and accuracy. • Concentration can lead to: • Fatigue; • Reduction in human performance. • Pilots of aircraft required to work to specific flight and duty time limitations: • Usually specific to the particular aircraft company; • Civil Aviation Order 48 (with exemptions) prescribes the details for pilots with regards to tactical fire fighting.

22. OHS & fatigue management (4)Fatigue management • Pilots are responsible for notifying aircraft officers of pilot rotations and duty time issues. No “private deals”. • State Air Desk to be notified of pilot rotations or unavailability by contract manager.

23. OHS & fatigue management (5) Fatigue management – agency (DSE/DPI/PV) personnel • Six days on duty followed by two days of rest. • Maximum of 72 hours “on duty” over six days. Including days where you are not assigned to an airborne role. (Every effort should be made to avoid holding personnel at airbases for briefing and debriefing unnecessarily - sometimes this cannot be avoided). • Maximum of 40 hours in an airborne role (flight time) in six days. • Maximum of 10 hours in an airborne role (flight time) in any one day. • Briefing Note Number 16 - 03 January 2007Recommended work and rest arrangements for aviation (non pilot) personnel who have airborne roles.

24. OHS & fatigue management (6)CASA Drug and Alcohol Management Program (DAMP) • Aimed at minimising AOD related risks in the performance of safety - sensitive aviation activities. • Effective on 23/09/2008. • SAU partner agencies employ aviation Safety Sensitive Personnel (SSP) which includes all agency staff, pilots and engineers etc “airside” performing an airborne or ground support role. • SSP will be subject to random testing by CASA or their agents. • SSP will be required to comply with a legitimate request for testing and to provide required personal details.

25. OHS & fatigue management (7)CASA Drug and Alcohol Management Program (DAMP) • Positive tests dealt with by CASA as individuals under the legislation as well as with agency. • Will be required by leave the immediate operational area. • Limits for cocaine, cannabis, opioids, amphetamines ("Illicit Drugs") and benzodiazepines below the relevant "confirmatory target concentrations" set out in the Australian/NZ Standards. • Limits for blood alcohol content ("BAC") of below 0.02%. • SAU Briefing Note Number 27 - 10 September 2008 Introduction of CASA Drug and Alcohol Management Legislation.

26. OHS & fatigue management (8)Welfare • Once deployed - accommodation, meals and transport provided by IMT via Aircraft Officer. • Pilots responsible for alcohol and non-operational costs. • Aircraft Officer to be advised of engineers requiring accommodation - IMT will assist where possible but it is contractor responsibility. • Logistics section (via Aircraft Officer) to assist with organising accommodation/meals - start arranging early.

27. Management & administration

28. Management & administration(1)Preparedness protocols • Seasonal Preparedness: • SAU facilitates: • Aircraft availability - weekly teleconference; • CFA and DSE operations. • State Preparedness Plan: • Agreed by both agencies, daily - joint iECC; • Four levels of preparedness dependant on risk and FDI’s and agency requirements; • Includes aircraft, personnel and support; • Repositioning protocols. • Additional tactical CWN aircraft on standby - approved by both agency State Coordinators.

29. Management & administration (2)Request and dispatch procedures • Requests: • SAD 24hr duty number - 1300 13 4144 -NOT VIC FIRE; • Requester needs to have understanding of current aircraft availability; • Requests handled by State Air Desk. • Phone call to 24hr. number for: • State Fleet Aircraft/tactical/CWN/pax transport requests; • From authorised agency person; • Fax for all non-fire suppression requests and transport aircraft or pre planned bookings.

30. Management & administration(3) Request and dispatch procedures • All State Fleet aircraft dispatch via SAD even if request originates from aircraft’s “home” location.No self activation, no pilot pressure “got to go”. • Location/comms details provided on deployment. • All State Fleet aircraft shall call SAD on departure. • Regional light fixed wing aircraft deployed locally. Agency staff advise SAD on deployment. • Automatically monitor Fire - CTAF 132.55 unless advised by SAD. • Release by IC only - confirm release “home” to SAD.

31. Management & administration(4)Fire - Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (F-CTAF) • FIRE - COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (F-CTAF): • Used for broadcast/separation calls when operating in the vicinity of designated fire areas and agency operational airbase (non CTAF); • Mandatory 5nm call required on Fire-CTAF on approach to the operational fire area and airbase; • Designated specific frequencies; • 132.55 Priority #1 Fire-CTAF; • Used for tactical communications. • Calls will be required on both Fire-CTAF and CTAF where fire area and/or airbases are within designated airport CTAF.

32.   CTAF & Fire CTAF Clarification

33. Management & administration (5)IFAC and complex scenario fundamentals • SAD dispatches aircraft to Incident Controllers: • IC deploys, manages, supervises, supports aircraft as required. • Reallocation between regional/area incidents: • Mandatory coordinated by a IFAC Aircraft Coordinator/Air Operations Manager; • Assists with reassignment of resources; • Request additional aircraft via IFAC or region/area from SAD. • Aircraft can be redeployed on multiple incidents within local area (region/area/district) area in consultation with IC’s: • Immediate notification to the region/area/SAD of reallocation. • Can be redeployed to new ignition incidents within geographic area in consultation with IC’s: • Immediate notification to the region/area/SAD of reallocation.

34. Management & administration(6)Use of interstate aircraft • Cross border arrangements: • Mutual support/response zones. • Requests for interstate aircraft via SAD: • Must be registered on CWN data base. • SAD negotiates release from other State: • SAD advises incident. • All operations in accordance with Air Operations Manual and supplements. • Agency personnel not to undertake operations not specified in Victorian Air Operations Manual and supplements.

35. Management & administration (7)Cross border arrangements • Verify if one exists: • Mutual support/response zone; • Distance/assets. • Understand the requirements. • Determine who will be the requesting agency: • Land manager/delegates. • Determine who will be paying! • Individual agency. • Required to send a module of resources: • Tactical aircraft and supervision. • Operations must be supervised: • Air Operations Manual. • Identify who is responsible for the support: • Preparedness arrangements.

36. Management & administration (8)Flight Operations Returns (FORs) • Things we want to see: • All columns completed. • Flight times correct and calc’s accurate. • Departure and destination/fire name: • Destination - local area/Lat. and Long. • Suppressants used - water/foam/retardant: • Location of hover fill points; • Volumes pick ups. • Fuel usage: • Operator/DSE/contract. • Authorised officers to check and assist: • Expedient process during invoicing.

37. Management & administration (9)Flight Operations Returns (FORs)

38. Management & administration(10)Air Attack Supervisor Operational Report cards • AAS cards required to be completed on a per incident per day basis. • Data used to assess effectiveness of operations. • Bushfire CRC research - Evaluation of Aerial Suppression Techniques and Guidelines. • Bushfire Strategy submission linked to report findings. • Increase probability of first attack success in Very High FFDI from little to medium likelihood if first attack within 30min of detection.

39. Management & administration (11)Smoke management • Direction from chiefs: • Maintain effective “Incident” tactical response; • Maintain initial attack for new ignitions. • Assets still assigned to “Incident”. • Consultation with BOM: • Smoke models and wind modelling. • Consultation: • with “Incident” and agency SDOs. • Radial and directional reposition. • “Incident” responsible for consideration, evaluation, implementation and logistics.

41. Management & administration(12)NOTAMS & Temporary Restricted Airspace • Generic Fire NOTAM: • Issued by ASA - pre season; • “UNNOTIFIED INTENSE AVIATION ACTIVITY ASSW FIREFIGHTING OPS MAY OCCUR WI 5NM RAD AND BLW 3000FT AGL OF OBSERVED FIRES. ACFT NOT COORDINATED THROUGH THE RELEVANT STATE EMERG SERVICE ARE REQ TO REMAIN CLEAR. • Incident Specific Fire NOTAM: • Requested through State Air Desk; • “INTENSE AVIATION ACTIVITY ASSW FIREFIGHTING OPS WI (X) NM RAD OF (X). ACFT NOT COORDINATED THROUGH THE VICTORIAN STATE AIRDESK TEL 1300134144 ARE REQ TO REMAIN CLEAR. FIREGROUND FREQ (X) MHZ”.

42. Management & administration(13)NOTAMS & Temporary Restricted Airspace • Temporary Restricted Airspace: • Aircraft operations adjacent to or in close proximity to controlled airspace and there is a risk of fire fighting aircraft infringing such airspace; • Aircraft operations in an area of high density itinerant aircraft traffic eg. light aircraft lane, VFR aircraft route; • Aircraft operations in an area of medium density itinerant aircraft traffic, when there is reduced flight visibility.

43. Communications

44. Communications (1)Flight following • Flight Monitoring Process: • All agency operational aircraft; • Nil requirement charter/IFR. • Pre Flight: • Arrange nominated responsible person and; • Provide flight details and manifest of all persons on board and; • Departure call to nominated responsible person. • During Flight: • Communicate position and intentions every 30 minutes; • To nominated person and; • Advise of changes, diversions, pick ups.

45. Communications (2)Flight following • Post Flight: • Communicate arrival/landing to nominated responsible person; • Nominated responsible person required to log calls and initiate Search and Rescue action if required. • SAR actions: • Up to 10 mins - attempt to contact aircraft; • At 15 mins and no contact - attempt to establish whereabouts of aircraft; • At 20 mins and no contact - initiate SAR action.

46. Communications (3)Flight following issues • Nominated responsible person being requested by pilot/AAS to call the aircraft at 30 mins - not acceptable. • Pilots/AAS during multi aircraft ops calling sched’s on hour/half hour - not reliable and puts pressure on base personnel. • No backup plan for non fire ops routinely under 30 min scheds ie. sling loading, spraying. • Aircraft calls at convenient location - not when due or required - not acceptable.

47. Communications (4)Resource tracking - RATS

48. Communications (5)Resource tracking - RATS

49. Communications (6)Resource tracking - Spider Track

50. Communications (7)Resource tracking - Spider Track • Spider Track units allocated to Call When Needed operators MUST be used on all agency flights. • Pilot, AAS or AOb, MUST ensure State Air Desk is notified of serial number (printed on gold sticker on unit) and aircraft callsign. • Unit is powered from the aircraft’s 10-32 volt DC power supply. • Cigarette lighter socket, or directly wired to power.